Rahul Dravid is considered to be one of the gentlest cricketers to have ever been a part of this the Indian cricket team. His motivational and coaching skills have turned around the lives of several cricketers who were not just low on morale but also suffering from various mental issues that saw them being suppressed in some way or the other. Kamlesh Nagarkotti, one of the rising sensations of India, found himself being bogged down by a fractured foot and when he was on the brink of returning to cricket, a recurring back injury compelled him to be on a hiatus for than 19 months.
It is one of the toughest phases of a cricketer’s career where every single day looks like a year and every single moment of struggle is nothing short of being a Hercules. However, at times a good mentor can always turn the pain into what can be the cricketer’s biggest weapon, his will power.
The KKR fast bowler revealed how the wall of India, Rahul Dravid helped him in accelerating his recovery and played a crucial role in turning the cricketer around. Nagarkoti cited that he was playing TT one day when Rahul Dravid pressed him for looking sad. He empathized with the youngster and told him to look at the positive side of things.
Dravid quoted the example of Pat Cummins, who is currently one of the spearheads of Australian fast bowling alongside Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Cumins had an infamous tryst with career-threatening injuries that took him off the game for a minimum of 3-4 years. However, when the Aussie pacer returned, he ensured that he was the best in the world.
Dravid also egged Kamlesh Nagarkotti to forget the past and learn from his mistakes so that the same isn’t reiterated in the offing. The most important takeaway for this youngster was the fact that just because he is suffering from an injury, that won’t prevent him from being the very best again.
Nagarkoti also stated that he is going to ask Cummins that what was the exact mindset that Cummins has ingrained in himself that keeps on stoking him to come back from a dead end. Both Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Pat Cummins will be fighting alongside each other in IPL 2020 for Kolkata Knight’s Riders.
